Automatic-piano accenting device.



E. N, HEARD. AUTOMATIC PIANO AOCENTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1911. 1,070,464, Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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E. N. HEARD.

AUTOMATIC PIANO AGGENTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1911. 1,070,464. Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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EUGEN BM H EARD nrl un T E. N. HEARD. AUTOMATIC PIANO AGGENTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1911. 1,070,464. Patented Aug". 19, 1913.

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E. N. HEARD. AUTOMATIC PIANO AGGENTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED J'ULYQI, 1911.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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EUGENE. N.

EUGENE N. HEARD, F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC-PIANO ACCENTING DEVICE.

Application filed July 31, 1911. Serial No. 641,574.

T 0 all whom 2'15 may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE N. HEARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic- Piano Accenting Devices, of which the following'is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic pianos and has for its object to provide new and; improved means for accenting particular" notes and for regulating, adjusting, and controlling such a-ccenting either automatically or at will and also to produce variations in the intensity of the notes.

Vi ith these and other objects in view, this invention consists of certain novel construe-- rams. combinations, and arrangements 'of parts, as will he hereinafter fully described and claimet i.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 a side viewin vertical section of an automatic piano provided with new and lIDPI'OVBtl means in accordance with this invention for acoenting the notes and regulating the intensity of the sound of the notes. Fig. 2 is a detail view in vertical section of a modification or the accenting device usin direct suction. Fig. 3 is a front view witi parts broken away of an automatic piano provided with accenting means constructed in accordance with this inven- "ion. i-

a plan view of the main ir and parts connected there with. Fig. 5 a plan view of a portion of the valve apparatus. Fig. 6 is a detail View in section on the line X-X, Fig. 5, showing the primaries. Fig. 7 is a detail view in horizontal section of a modification of the accenting device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detail view in transverse vertical section of the device shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail view of a. portion of the main tracker board and the perforated sheet roll. Fig. 10 is a .tront view of the auxiliary tracker board. Fig. 11 is a detail view in longitudinal vertical section showing a valve device for changing from one accenting means to another. Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail view in cross section through the hammer rail and the adjacent valve mechanism with bellows broken away. Fig. 13 is a detail view of a portion of the mechanisms for controlling and operating the accenting devices. Fig. 1 1 is an enlarged detail view in longitudinal section of one end of the tracker Specification of Letters Patent.

IatcntedAug. 19,1913.

board. Fig. 15 is a detail plan view of a valve disk employed with thisijjnvention.

To set forth the invention an automatic piano is shown in which 1 indicates the main tracker board shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 9,

and having the. regular row of air inlet pas- 2 and an auxiliary row of air inlet passages 3 located above the regular air passages 2. Air inlet passages 4:21Ild 5*are located in each end of the tracker board for accenting the tones of music and an air inlet passage 6 is. located at each end of the tracker bar at one side of the passages so as to be located under each edge of theperforated sheet roll of music for automaticall shifting the tracker board relatively to t e pertorated music roll. The inlet air-passages 2 are connected by the pipe 7 to the primaries 8 and 9, as more particularly shown in Fig. 6. The air inlet passagesfi extend partly across the tracker board and then' project upward asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 14 and communicate with air passages S'in the shifting members 9- and 10 ln'SllCh a manner that when the members 9 and 10 areshifted these passages 3 will be moved into alinement with the passages 41. giving a tree communication through the pipe 11 to the primary 12, as more articularly shown in Fig. 12. Air, is carr ed through the pipe 11 and an air passage way 11f in the hammer rest rail 13 to the primary 12 which operates the spring controlled valve 14 allowing air to pass to the chamber '15 through the passage way 14 and passage way 16 from the pneumatic 17. The chamber 15 has an opening 15 which communicates with the main trunk and permits of the suction. Located within the pneumatic 17 is a coil spring 18 mounted on the fixed side of the pneumatic against which spring the side 19 of the pneumatic is brought into contact when the suction'takes place. The spring 18, when a slight suction takes place in the chamber 15 stops the side 19 of the pneumatic almost as soon as it comes in contact therewith. As the degree of suction is increased the side 19 is drawn nearer to the fixed side of the pneumatic against the coil spring 18.

The arms 20 of the hammers 21 of the piano rest against a number of pneumatics corresponding to the pneumatic 19, one pneumatic being used for each hammer arm, but it may be sufficient to have one pneumatic for two or more of the adjacent hammer arms, as two adjacent hammers are seldom used atthe same time. The rail 13 on which the suction chamber 15 and the pneumatic 17 are mounted is formed in two parts corresponding to the bass and treble. The rail 13 is mounted at its ends on bell crank shaped brackets 22 pivoted to the frame of connected by a rod 28 with a bell crank lei and 29 ver 29, one of said bell crank levers having a button 29' and the other a button 29", the button 29 operating the bass and the button 29 operating the treble. Located above the main tracker boardis a duct board 30, shown in Fi s. 1, 7, and 10, which is provided with air in ct openings 31 which are covered by two slides 32. Depending from the inner adjacent ends of the sides 32 are two de endin arms 33 which extend over the per- ?orat music roll, as shown in Fig. 3 and indicating on the perforated music roll, when played, just which holes are exposed on the auxiliary tracker board. Each of the slides 32 has a lug 34 and connected to said lugs 34 are cords 35 which extend over'the pulleys 36and are connected at their other ends to levers 37 and 38, the lowef'ends of which are located adjacent to the buttons 28 The levers 37 and 38 are spaced apart by a block 39 secured'to one of the levers and connected together by a spring 40 so that the tendency of the levers is to 0perate in unison. By squeezing together the lower ends of the levers 37 and 38, the opening between the two sliding strips 32 is increased thereb uncovering a large number of holes 31. Each hole 31 is connected with a tube 31' which is jointed to the tube 11 thereby communicating with and acting upon the valve 1 1.

A modification ot' the device for exposing, a large number of air inlet openings is shown in Figs. 2, 7, and 8,in which a sliding head 41 is connected by a pipe 41 with a suction main. The face of the head 11 is formed of three suction compartments 1:3. 44,

sure. The sliding strips 9 and 10 are shittcd from the otf position to the on position by means of bellows'48. The motion of the strips 9 and 10 is limited in one direction by stops 49 while springs 50 restore said strips to their normal off position. The bellows 48 are operated by the admission of air pressure tli'rough the auxiliary side holes of the tracker bar which operates the valve 51 permitting the escape of air from the bellows and shifting the strips 9 and 10, giving a free communication to the air passages 3. The holes 6 are placed just inside of each edge of the perforated music roll and are connected by means of pipes 52 and 53 to valves 54 connected by pipes 55 and 55' with the. bellows 5.6. The two outside parts of the bellows 56. are fixed but. the center division 57 is movable'toward either side from the center and is connected with the tracker board so that any shifting on the part of the section 57 produces a corresponding shift of the tracker board. Thus when the right hand hole is uncovered air pressure is admitted through that. hole from the pipe 52 operating the corresponding valve and admittimgsuctionthrough the right hand pipe 55 to the pneumatics thereby moving the center 57 toward the tracker board and shifting the same until the hole is again covered up. Y

The advantage of this arrangement over the shifting music roll is that there is no tendency to buckle the paper so that certain parts ot the music roll will not be rendered inoperative.

In Fig. 15 is shown a view of the valve 46 and from an inspection of this view it will be seen that it comprises a disk 58 having the segmental slots 59 so that air passing through the similar slots 60 in the valve seat has almost double the area of openings of the same lift of valve. The opening'of the holes 4 and 5 causes the pulling of pneumatics 61 and 62, respectively, there being one of each for the treble and one for the bass holes til, acting through the links 63 and ti-t and raising the strip 65 which normally rests upon the small hinged latch 66 there being one latch for each valve. In like manner the pneumatic 62 through the links 67 and 68 operates the strip 68 which is normally raised from the latch (39. 6?) is a regular suction chamber common to all the valves. and 70 is a common suction chamber latter is provided with a strikin arm 79 which is in the form of a fiexibhe spring. The trigger '80 is pivoted to a bracket 80 between its ends, one end of said trigger being adjacent to the end of the arm 79, the other end of the trigger 80 being pivotally connected by a sliding link 81 with apivot lever 82 mounted on a bracket 83 and pivotally connected to the link 67 and bellows 62 by a link 84.

. In Fig. 11 is shown a form of switch employed to cut off the accenting device or to throw on either one of them. 85 and 86 are air pipes connected with the holes 4 and 5, respectively. The plunger 87 is located in a casing 88. being shifted so as to connect the air pipes 85 and 86 with the pipes 90 and 91, which in turn are connected with bellows 61 and 62. \Vhen the plunger 87 is shifted to the right, the air pipe 85 is brought into com-q municaticn with the air pipe 89 thereby providing a passage way from the hole 4 which operates the bellows 48.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: It being desired to accent music on music rolls in which there are noslde perforations,-the plunger87 is shifted to the extreme left, closing both automatic accenting devices. The button 29 or 29 is depressed according to whether the melody is in the bass or treble. This opens the valve 26 operating the bellows 24 thereby throwing the rail 13 and supported hammer. arm closer to the strings, thereby causing a softening of all the notes. Now when it is desired to accent any particular note the slides 32 are manipulated by the levers 37 and 38 until the pointers 33 span the par-- ticular note on the perforated music sheet. This opens the passage way 31 corresponding to that note and draws back the bellows sup- Fig.

parting the hammer thereby allowing it to fall back, thereby giving the notes full stroke as against part stroke for all others and causing it to be played more loudly. The same results are accomplished by connecting direct suction through the head 41 shown in Fig. 7. This head being made with three operating means it can span from two to twelve notes. If the regular music is to be played on the piano in which the perforated roll has a single side hole the plunger 87 is shifted to bring the pipe 85 in communication with the pipe.89, then as the music roll advances the perforations in the sheet music uncover the holes 2, the opening of the holes 4 shifting the strips 9 and 10 and opening a passage through the openings 3 to the bellows 17 and pulling it back just before the holes 2 are uncovered, thus giving those notes in line with the perforations full value.

"When playing special music with this instrument two side perforations, as shown in 9 are employed, the plunger 87 being shifted as shown in Fig. 11. In this case it is not necessary to subdue all the notes by moving the hammers near the spring as two pressures are prov ded glvlng two degrees of loudness to the notes.

Referring to Fig. 9, supposing 92 is aperture in the sheet music roll indicating the note to be accented, it is cut slightly in advance of the unaccented notes "93 and the two side perforations 94 and 95 are cut as shown. As the music passes over the tracker bar, an aperture 94 uncovers the hole 5 first giving air pressure through the air pipe 86 and the pipe 91 to the bellows 62, throwing the strip 68' down on all of the catches 69. Next the a erture 95- is unclosed moving the arm 64. ii ting the strip 65 and releas-.

ing all the latches 66, when the aperture 92 isunclosed admitting pressure to the corresponding primaries 8 and 9. The valve 77 isheld down and only the valve'TO opens, pushing out. the latch 66, opening the valve and admitting high pressure to the chamber 71. The aperture 95 immediately closes,

pulling down the latch 65, which holds all. y

the catches 66 except the one pushed out by the airpressure through the aperture 92; The movement of the aperture 94 from registration with the aperture or passageway 5 is effected immediately prior to the registration of the holes 93 with the appropriate openings 2 thus releasing the catch 69 on all the valves 77. The chamber 71 corresponding to the aperture 92 is con nected with a high suction 'chamber 70 While the chamber corresponding to the aperture 93 is connected with the low suction orily, thereby causing the note 92 to. be struck more forcibly than the note 93, the simultaneous action being caused by the strip 68 lifting from latches 69 simultaneously. In addition as the link 67 is drawn in, the arm trigger is brought over the ceeding the unaccented notes of: the same group, unless all notes of the sired to be accented.

-When using the usual type of music with one side perforation, or where all notes on line are to be accented as in 93 and 92 dotted lines, perforation 92 is only cut in theposition shown in dotted lines. Then as the perforation opens 4 at the same time 93 opens 2, the catch 65 is lifted from the latch 66 simultaneously with the lifting of the valve 76, admitting high pressure to all the notes on a line with the said perforation 95. In cases where the accented group are denote is followed by the same note played Without accenting, a small perforation 96 is made to restore the catch 66 under the catch 65.

What I claim is 1. In an automatic piano of the kind de scribed, a tracker bar having the usual row of air inlet passage ways, and a supplemental row of air inlet passage Ways extending parallel to and in transverse alincment with the first named-row of passage ways, slides having air passages connnuni- 'cating with the supplemental passages in the tracker bar, means for adjusting said slides to connect and disconnect the passages of the slide and supplemental passages, a hammer rest rail adapted to be oscillated, a plurality of neumatics mounted on said hammer rest rall, each ofthe hammer arms resting against one of the pneumatics, and a pneumatic connebtion between said pneumatics and the supplemental passages of said tracker bar.

'2. In an automatic piano of the kind described, a duct h'o'ard, slides inovable over the apertures of said duct board, cords con.- nected to said slides, and a pair of lever arms connected to said cords, yieldable means for drawing the lever arms together, and a spacing block positioned between said lever arms.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EUGENE N. HEARD. Wi nesses:

H. C. SoHRonnER, HELEN L.=IELLY. 

